Virtual Reality in the Treatment of Patients with Overweight and Obesity: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Obesity is one of the world’s most serious health issues. Therefore, therapists have looked for methods to fight obesity. Currently, technology-based intervention options in medical settings are very common. One such technology is virtual reality (VR) which has been used in the treatment of obesity since the late 1990s. The main objective of this study is to review the literature on the use of VR in the treatment of obesity and overweight to better understand the role of VR-based interventions in this field. To this end, four databases (PubMed, Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science) were searched for related publications from 2000 to 2022 using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). From the 645 articles identified, 24 were selected. The main strength of this study is that it is the first systematic review to focus completely on the use of VR in the treatment of obesity. It includes most research in which VR was utilized to carry out the intervention. Although several limitations were detected in the reviewed studies, the findings of this review suggest that employing VR for self-monitoring of diet, physical activity, and/or weight is effective in supporting weight loss as well as improving satisfaction of body image and promoting health self-efficacy in overweight or obese persons.

Digital communication and virtual reality for extending the behavioural treatment of obesity – the patients’ perspective: results of an online survey in Germany

“…Secondly, the finding further emphasizes the relevance and importance of cognitive behavioural therapy in the treatment of patients with obesity. Furthermore, the very low participation of men in the current study mirrors previous findings [ 34 , 51 , 66 ]. While one common assumption for the often-observed gender difference in recruitment is the higher societal pressure for women to conform to thin body ideals and the consequently higher psychological strain leading them to seek treatment more frequently ( 34 ), further causes remain unclear and should be addressed in future studies to avoid a potential healthcare gap.…”

“…The results are also in line with the general state of research and consequently implementation of the technology into standard care: Different reviews of VR in the context of obesity have pointed out the heterogeneity and limited number of studies [ 34 , 38 , 50 ]. As such, VR is considered an emerging technology [ 51 ]. Its low prevalence in treatment is not surprising considering for example the high costs of VR equipment and its maintenance, as well as VR software development [ 52 ], and open questions regarding the extent of acceptance in both, patients and therapists [ 53 ].…”

“…guided imagery and in vivo exposure in this context [ 26 ]. VR interventions have been found to be effective in improving not just body image concerns, but also health self-efficacy, and motivation to change [ 51 ], [ 60 ], [ 61 ]. In addition, VR can provide a safe environment for users to confront feared situations and thus reduce their avoidance [ 26 ], which is especially relevant in patients with obesity who often experience shame [ 62 ] and stigmatisation in their daily lives and health care settings [ 63 ].…”

“…Face-to-face communication remains the most important setting for treatment and VR approaches are not part of treatment in the vast majority of cases. Particularly for the highly stigmatized group of individuals with obesity, VR therapy could offer a safe environment to confront stressful situations that are contributing to weight gain and research of VR as part of obesity treatment has shown promising results regarding health behaviour change [ 29 , 70 ] and self-monitoring of diet and physical activity, improving body image and supporting weight loss in the treatment of overweight and obesity [ 51 ]. Further studies are needed however to provide a clearer picture of potential treatment barriers or educational needs in different subpopulations of persons with obesity and to facilitate the transfer of developed VR systems into clinical practice.…”

Using Personalized Avatars as an Adjunct to an Adult Weight Loss Management Program: Randomized Controlled Feasibility Study

“…The potential of VR as an intervention has been explored across a spectrum of health and well-being conditions [ 25 , 26 , 29 , 30 ], and it has been recommended as a potential behavior modification tool for tackling obesity [ 31 , 32 ]. Studies have shown that within the experimental environment, an individual’s behavior conforms to their digital self-representation (Proteus effect) [ 33 - 35 ].…”